First Look Dallas: 2012 Volkswagen Beetle by Brian Ongaro

The first thing you notice is that the 2012 Beetle still has that iconic VW “Bug” appearance, but it’s much improved. They flattened its roof, lowered its stance, and made it a little wider and a little bit longer. All of the VW dealers were pulling out their camera phones to take pictures of this new beauty that starts at less than $19k. Once inside the car you realize that this was a complete remake. The dashboard had a carbon-fiber appearance and three gauges mounted on top of the dash gave it an exotic car feel. The new Beetle offers Bluetooth technology, keyless access with a cool push-button start. Wait until you see the new multi-color ambient lighting inside! The new Fender Audio System will absolutely blow you away. The clarity at every volume level is the best I’ve ever heard in any vehicle.

You can pre-order a new 2012 right now and they tell us the first cars will arrive in September. We will have a base model and a turbo-charged version in our showrooms in mid-September. Beetle owners like to customize their cars and this model will offer a lot of options to make it your own. From various wheel options to some really interesting graphic wraps this car will definitely draw a lot of attention as it rolls down the Dallas Tollway!

The 21st Century Beetle arrives in dealer showrooms this September, and you have the coveted opportunity to own one of 600 Black Turbo launch edition models. All it takes is a $495 fully refundable reservation fee that goes toward your future Beetle purchase. You can pre-order the 2012 VW Black Turbo launch edition at http://preorder.vw.com.